Monday, June 23, 2008 ~ First day home from hospital

I woke this morning about 5:30am with 100 degree fever. I take my tylenol, prednisone, other meds. I make a protien shake, down that with a slice of toast, followed by Pedialyte. I am crampy achy. Pass a watery stool, no blood. That is good. I crawl back into bed to sleep a couple more hours. I am awakened by my dear sweet daughter mopping sweat from my body. The fever has broken. Temp is normal. The reason the docs decided to send me home with the fevers is that tests, cultures all revealed no real sign of a significant infection — no c. diff, no pnuemonia. There was a little higher white blood cell count in urine and the thought UTI, but then I had no real symptoms. Plus, the temps only rose early in the am and then return to normal during the day. So after alot of discussion we determined the fever is a result of the inflammation and illness and that I could manage it at home with the tylenol, and naps, liquids and plently of clothes to change (due to the sweats!)

Otherwise today has been a lovely day. I slept on and off. I washed some dishes and did some laundry.

Sunday, June 21, 2008 ~ BellyLuv0SoFine, Beautiful Body Please Work for Me

Ulcerative Colitis — that’s me.  You may be familiar with this disease, this whole tale might not be news,but instead just another twist on what you already know.  UC has ruled my life the last six weeks or so.  Prior to that is been a minor issue, lying quietly in the bowels of my body, in remission through daily drugs.  This particular flare up started Mother’s day (May 08).  First, I tried diet management and then doc began treatment with a low-dose Prednisone after several weeks but it late.  He added in antibiotics which helped significantly with subsiding symptoms and we started to taper off the preds and increase the therapy drug Azathioprine.  He did a flexible sigmoidoscopy on June 3.  Result, precancerous cells and polyps were removed and he urged surgery for removal of the colon.  In the meantime, the flare up took serious hold of body and being.  Racking me with pain, depression, anemia and dehydration.  I reported the ER for the second time in as many weeks only to be admitted to hospital.  I have been here five days.  Next steps include surgery for removal of the colon.  I am under terrific care at Virgina Mason Hospital in Seattle.  The plan is to release me tomorrow and go home and try to build up strength in every way to prepare for surgery.